


Sunday in the Park with Appa

by DracoMaleficium



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Aang is a blogger, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Blogging, Crush denial, He is also Leslie Knope apparently, M/M, Mutual Pining, Nerdery, Parks and Rec Fusion, Slow Build, they're both idiots basically
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-30
Updated: 2014-12-30
Packaged: 2018-03-04 10:41:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3064766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DracoMaleficium/pseuds/DracoMaleficium
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aang, the youngest ever deputy director of Parks and Recreation in Rozin, Indiana, blogs about his life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sunday in the Park with Appa

**Author's Note:**

> HAPPY BIRTHDAY [AGARICALS!!!](http://agaricals.tumblr.com)
> 
> Hope you enjoy my humble, admittedly rushed and unpolished offering. It's less of a fic and more like a sketch of one, if that makes sense, but I had fun writing this little experiment so hopefully it'll translate to the reading experience too. It might be a little hard to follow, but that's because I wanted to write the blog entries realistically and naturally Aang wouldn't put EVERYTHING in there, especially not the things that are really private, so there'll be a lot of gaps to be filled by your own - no doubt very active - imagination.
> 
> It's based on "Parks and Rec" the tv show and incporporates some of the events from it, but diverges quite a lot with the arrival of the "budget auditors" and hopefully you won't need to know the show to enjoy the fic. 
> 
> (but if you do know the show, you can go ahead and imagine the ATLA characters in those little situations. I have, and it's tons of fun.)

_Presented below is a collection of selected blog entries from the url "sundayintheparkwithappa.blogspot.com." Only specific posts have been included based on their relevance to the article for "Rozin Today" written by local reporter Jun McNamara titled "Love Blooms in City Hall!". Originally names and places have been changed to preserve anonymity, but this selection replaces them with real names for clarity._

_Text featured in the "About" section of the blog:_

Hi! I'm Aang, deputy director of Parks and Recreation in Rozin, Indiana, AKA the best city ever. This blog is basically me rambling on about my everyday life and posting pictures of my pets, Appa and Momo. Hope you enjoy it and have a great day!

_Blog entries:_

 

April 9, 2009

 

Public forum was extra fun today. For one thing, Mr. Grout chose to honor us with his presence, and I had to exchange grins with Sokka because that always means good fun and he didn’t disappoint. Now we can add “grass in parks too green, hurts his eyes” to our Mr. Grout Wall of Fame, and I gotta say this one beats his previous “children should be banned from all parks everywhere.” Good old Mr. Grout, whatever would we do without him? And then it got even better because Mrs. Smith from Accounting came forward to ask what we were gonna do about her being murdered in her own bed by rabid raccoons (which I thought was a little unfair because raccoons haven’t been a problem in Rozin for months now), and then Sokka whispered that there’d be a fat chance of her being murdered in her own bed because she’s hardly ever there. He thought I wouldn’t hear. I love Sokka, he’s funny _and_ brilliant, but he can be very mean sometimes.

Still. No harm in laughing about it here, I suppose, right? It was pretty funny. I’ll make extra sure to change the password again when I’m done so Sokka doesn’t discover that I’m the one writing this blog. Something he won’t guess as easily as he did last time.

In hindsight, I admit APPAROX probably wasn’t all that hard to figure out, huh.

But! The best thing is, Sokka’s beautiful sister Katara, who is very beautiful and the best doctor in Indiana, came to the classroom – oh right, we had to switch to a classroom because they shut out the power in the auditorium, boo janitor guy! – and told us all about this great big pit that’s apparently been there at the back of her house for months now?! I mean, holy cow! I had no idea! Why didn’t I have an idea? Why didn’t Sokka ever tell me? Because it sounds like it’s a thing I should know about, you know, being the deputy director of Parks & Rec and all? And then Katara told us her boyfriend Jet fell in there and broke both his legs?!

… Okay, not gonna lie, I don’t really like Katara’s boyfriend Jet very much. I still have a hard time reminding myself that this terrible, terrible accident is indeed terribly terrible.

Bad Aang. 

(The mental image _is_ rather funny though. I’m allowed to think that, right?)

Anyway, when Katara told me about the pit I had this _brilliant_ idea and, guess what, my dearly beloved readers? 

I’M GONNA TURN THE PIT INTO A PARK!

Sokka is already telling me about all the hoops I’ll need to jump through to get this done, but I don’t care – he always does that with every single new project I’m taking on, even if it’s something simple like getting a new lightbulb. That’s kinda his thing, you know? Being negative. I like to think it’s because he cares and doesn’t want me to get ahead of myself. 

And he’s right. I shouldn’t. I’ll keep my head in the right place, and won’t take on more than I can chew, and I already promised my grouchy Boss – who was extra grouchy that day because they ran out of his favorite steak burgers in the commissary – that I won’t go behind his back on this and keep things nice and proper so he doesn’t get any more headaches (he gets A LOT of headaches). And I will! Scout’s honor. 

Buuuuuuuuuut I am PROPERLY excited and I’m gonna do this and it’s going to be a beautiful, beautiful place, and everyone in the city is gonna LOVE it.

I have a really good feeling about this.

[PICTURE OF APPA THE DOG AND MOMO THE CAT LYING ON A FLUFFY CARPET]

 

16 April, 2009

 

Went to survey the pit. It’s HUGE. Easily the size of a house and the depth of one, too. Katara the beautiful doctor told me that it was supposed to be a basement, but the construction company responsible for the project went bankrupt before they could do anything more than dig, and it’s been left like that for months now. Am more resolved than ever because the pit is indeed v. scary and dangerous and fall-y. Must fill it up asap or more people’ll fall, ~~people nicer than Jet~~ , and we can’t have that. But we CAN have a park. We WILL have a park! I will make it so.

Talked to Katara’s boyfriend Jet, too, after pit-surveying. Like him even less. He’s bossing Katara around and she deserves so much better. 

Because she’s the best. And makes delicious lemonade. I wish Sokka’d be more open to invite his sister over to the office so we could hang out more. Hmmm, maybe now we can?

Update: Boss says stop grinning like that when I type because it makes me look like a mass murderer. Sokka laughing. Threw a paper plane at his head. 

Park status: no park yet. 

[PICTURE OF APPA THE DOG IN THE PIT]

 

23 April, 2009

 

Brought the reporter, Jun, over to the pit so I can get the people of Rozin excited about the project.

Fell into the pit myself. 

Guess which photograph made it into the paper.

(Katara says I’m okay and she must know because she’s the prettiest and smartest doctor in all of Indiana, but my butt still hurts, so I think I’m gonna go for a jog until it stops and I can sit again.)

(Sokka keeps waving the photo in my face and laughing at me. See, that’s because this sort of thing usually happens to _him_ so now he’s trying to make up for lost time. Still, it’s annoying and I’m almost out of paper to make paper planes to throw at him. Must think of something else.)

Park status: no park yet, but at least there’s publicity!

[PICTURE OF MOMO THE CAT SITTING ON A DESK]

 

14 May, 2009

 

Katara broke up with Jet!

Can you believe he had the doctor’s visit postponed so he could make her wait on him a little longer? Well, Katara found out about that and got properly angry (don’t ever, ever, ever make her angry, by the way. She gets really scary when she’s angry). And then she dumped him out on his sorry butt. Am very happy for her. She really does deserve someone better and I’m happy to say we’re becoming closer friends because of the whole pit business. Hope she doesn’t take too long to get over Jet because he’s just not worth crying over. The gang – that’s me, Sokka, Toph from the front desk and even Boss’s assistant, Gloomy Mai – all got together and took her out for ice-cream, and she seemed to have a good time so that’s nice. 

Appa’s happy too. He used to bark at Jet a lot. I always said he had good instincts. 

Boss says get back to work so I can’t write anymore, but have a picture of Appa being happy because Katara’s stroking his head. 

[PICTURE OF APPA THE DOG AND A DARK-SKINNED HAND RESTING ON HIS HEAD]

Park status: still no park.

 

15 September 2009

 

Whoa, okay, lots of questions after that last post so let me just clarify that no, Katara and I are not dating. Do I have a bit of a crush on her? Yup! But, I mean, who wouldn’t? She’s beautiful and smart and awesome. I really want to be her friend. But you should know that me getting crushes is like other people sneezing because I just love people so much. People are beautiful. 

Now that’s cleared up, have a great day, everyone! 

 

17 September, 2009

 

Performed a wedding ceremony for two gay penguins today over at Rozin Zoo. 

IT WAS SO CUTE! 

PENGUINSSSSSS!

[PICTURE OF TWO PENGUINS]

(Also Boss says now I have to make some kind of statement because some people in Rozin are demanding that I resign but who cares, right? Because PENGUINSSSS!)

[ANOTHER PICTURE OF PENGUINS]

 

20 September, 2009

 

Wow, you guys are awesome! 

Thank you so much for being so supportive! I loved getting all your comments, and I think I’ll take this opportunity to confirm that yes, I am queer – pansexual, might as well give you all full disclosure – and I’m not at all afraid to say it out loud even though I work for the government. Rozin is a great city full of open-minded people (and really, it has to be, what with its history, right?). Sure, there will always be a group of stubborn individuals who never like progress in any form at all, but I’m not bothered because my colleagues support me and most of City Hall does as well and for most of Rozin’s citizens that’s not an issue at all. 

Was the penguin wedding a statement? I guess? I didn’t mean for it to be, I just wanted it to be a cute event for two penguins who love each other, but I did know they were both male so in a way yeah, I guess it was a statement. There’s a vibrant gay community here in Rozin who really appreciated it and I’m glad I was able to give them some fresh hope that one day they too will be able to say “I do” to their loved ones during an official ceremony. Heck, maybe I will too one day, who knows! Everyone deserves the chance if they want it. 

Once again, thanks for all the nice messages and I just want to remind everyone that I do have a firm no-flames comment policy and I will be enforcing it. 

Here’s Appa and Momo showing off their pride!

[PICTURE OF APPA AND MOMO WEARING RAINBOW FLAG BANDANAS]

Oh, and park status: still no park, but Mr. Grout stopped me on the street today to complain about it so I like to think I’m getting somewhere!

 

September 22, 2009

 

Have I ever told you guys about my colleagues? I don’t think I did. That’s horrible of me. Let’s rectify that.

Starting with my boss! Everyone in City Hall calls him Lieutenant (well, apart from me, I just call him Boss because he is my boss) because he’s ex-Navy – he even has tattoos to show for it, how cool is that? People in City Hall say he once killed a man but I don’t think that’s true. 

He looks like he might have done, though.

He’s kinda scary. I used to be really terrified of him when I first got the job, and to tell you the truth I still am sometimes. He’s very grumpy and has this way of frowning that makes you feel like you’re five years old and just peed the bed. He likes to act like he doesn’t care about anything but his paycheck, and most people buy into it because his frown is just so convincing, but I don’t think that’s true anymore. He never threatens to fire any of us, for one thing, and he keeps telling me to stop trying so hard but I think it’s because he secretly cares about us. 

Recently I discovered that he prevented Gloomy Mai from getting the sack, for example, in total secret. That’s very sweet. I’ll keep on pretending I don’t know, though, because it seems to make him happy.

Now. Gloomy Mai. She’s Boss’s assistant and mostly keeps people from harassing him, and she’s very good at it. Like, VERY good. If possible, she’s even scarier than Boss himself, with her dark makeup and pale face and long black hair and the truest, fiercest, perfect-est poker face I’ve ever seen. The way she talks, you’d think she was a cyborg sent here to assess humanity and finding it lacking. I hear her parents are super rich and own a number of Malibu mansions, but she never talks about them and everyone’s too scared to ask. 

Last week she told me my yellow tie was the ugliest thing she’d seen all year. I think she likes me.

Then there’s Toph. Toph is AWESOME. She’s tiny but FIERCE, and sassy, and has an opinion about everything. Her favorite activities include bantering with Sokka and sassing at Boss and judging people with Gloomy Mai and, sometimes, yelling at me to stop bothering her. She can type as fast as the best of them and always brings her guide dog, Badgermole, to work with her, and I love it because Badgermole is a great big sweetheart (and looks nothing like a badger or a mole, but when I pointed it out to Toph she only started to tell blind jokes at me until I hid in my office). 

And then there’s me. So! That’s our glorious department of Rozin’s Parks and Recreation!

Park status: I’m trying to convince Boss to back me up with funding requests. He’s taken to swiveling away in his chair whenever I so much as get close to his office. I like to think that’s progress because he’s not yelling at me anymore.

[PICTURE OF BADGERMOLE THE GUIDE DOG]

 

1 October, 2009

 

Jet got a job as a shoeshine here in City Hall. 

No one is amused. 

(Except perhaps Boss, who seems to enjoy having Jet shine his shoes a bit more than is healthy, but then he has Opinions about people like Jet and no one is really surprised.)

(Come to think of it, he has Opinions about everything. He has this in common with Toph and Gloomy Mai. Sometimes the three of them sit in the yard and drink coffee and judge government officials together. I keep my window open when this happens because it’s HILARIOUS.)

Park status: I got On Ji from City Planning to do a preliminary sketch design for me and it’s BRILLIANT! Now I just need the city to approve it. And then get the money. And contractors. Easy peasy.

 

22 October, 2009

 

So it’s not quite as easy peasy as it looked and now I might get fired.

BUT I GOT THE PIT FILLED IN!

Park status: KABOOM!

[PICTURE OF APPA STANDING IN THE MIDDLE OF AN EMPTY LOT WHERE PIT USED TO BE]

Update: Wow, loooots of questions coming in and I realize it wasn’t very clear, so let’s just say that I got a little… too keen, and decided it will be easier to ask for forgiveness than permission, and bypassed some middlemen and simply hired people to fill the pit in for me. Katara was there, and she cheered me on, and now we realize it might not have been such a good idea because Boss frowned at me a lot later like only he can and Toph explained all the rules we’ve broken and Gloomy Mai rolled her eyes at me and, yeah, long story short I’m in trouble. 

 

25 October, 2009

Not fired after all. 

It’s a long story, and there’s morals everywhere, but I’ve been forgiven and I knew Boss secretly cares.

Sokka brought party hats for everybody and Katara invited everyone to a pit-filling party later tonight and I can’t wait. Even Gloomy Mai said she’d be there (she said to steal liquor from Katara’s cabinet but I don’t believe her. I think she’s beginning to secretly like Katara too.)

PARTY TIME!

[PICTURE OF MOMO WEARING A PARTY HAT]

 

2 November, 2009

Survived Halloween. Gloomy Mai didn’t even need to wear a costume, she simply stood there and stared at people and almost gave Sokka a heart attack anyway. She’s _good_.

I’m starting a fundraiser for the park. Let’s get the citizens involved. 

Starting tomorrow. We’re all still a little hungover. That was one wild Halloween party, lemme tell ya.

[PICTURE OF APPA AND MOMO WEARING LITTLE BLACK CLOAKS]

 

19 November, 2009

 

OMG OMG OMG WE WENT ON A HUNTING TRIP TODAY AND SOKKA ACCIDENTALLY SHOT BOSS IN THE HEAD I THINK HE’S STILL ALIVE BUT I CAN’T EXPLAIN THERE’S NO TIME WE HAVE TO HELP STOP THE BLEEDING AND EVERYONE’S FREAKING OUT 

 

20 November, 2009

Boss alive. Will be okay. 

Phew.

Boo Sokka.

The bottom line, no one is going hunting anytime soon and we were so lucky Katara the brilliant doctor was there or it could be really ugly. 

I don’t like hunting anyway and was only there to show my disapproval. 

HA. That might teach them.

… It was so horrible though and poor Boss, now he’ll be getting even more headaches when he gets back, I just know it.

(Sokka took a sabbatical which is very smart of him. I wouldn’t show my face around the office after that either.)

[PICTURE OF APPA IN A HUNTING LODGE]

 

12 May, 2010

 

Apparently Rozin’s in a crisis and state auditors will come to oversee (and cut) our budget, officially so we can survive into the new year. 

Well. That’s it when it comes to any new parks, then…

But I will not lie down and roll over so easily. They better get ready for a fight!

 

13 May, 2010

 

I have met the enemy and he is very cute.

Well. They both are. Ty Lee, chief auditor, is apparently an old childhood friend of Gloomy Mai’s – you should have seen them greet each other, it was adorable! I never saw Gloomy Mai endure a hug without trying to maim the hugger, but this one she not only endured, but also – gasp – returned! 

Well, with one arm, and for as long as three seconds. BUT STILL!

I wish I had whipped out my camera to take photos of everyone’s faces, but in my defense I was too busy making a stupid face myself. Gloomy Mai does. Not. Hug. 

But anyway, Ty Lee is super bubbly and positive and believes in auras. We hit it off right away and she LOVED all my projects. It’s really hard to feel resentful towards someone like her with all her energy and optimism and sincere smiles. In the face of all that, I’d feel totally at ease again, but she’s not the only one come to audit us, is she.

And that’s a problem.

You see, the other guy, Zuko, is a complete antithesis of Ty Lee. He apparently knows Gloomy Mai as well, and that is no longer so surprising because he can Gloomy right along with her and give her a run for her money besides. When he sat down with Boss and me to talk about our budget, it was a glare-off so intense I thought I’d get third-degree burns if I only stood in the space between them. And he’s not even that much older than me! Maybe four or five years tops, and I’m the youngest guy to be deputy director of anything around here so you can do the math. If he can withstand Boss’s glares and still keep himself upright to give as good as he gets, you know there’s something major going on there.

So, you’re thinking I should probably dislike Zuko. 

But he is freaking cute.

Okay, not in the “awwwww” way. More like in a “hotDAMN” way. In a “seriously hot _DAAAAAMN_ ” way, if you know what I mean. I didn’t know what I wanted to do more – blow up at him to protect our department with my own life if need be or make out with him.

I might just do both if this goes on much longer. You know, for the greater good. 

Wonder if he likes men.

Don’t tell Katara I said that.

Oh, and there’s a large, strange scar on one half of Zuko’s face that Gloomy Mai absolutely forbid us to talk about ever on pain of death by throwing stars. I’ve never seen Gloomy Mai carry throwing stars but I’m inclined to believe her. So is Katara.

Katara agrees with me re: Zuko’s cuteness, by the way. I can foresee some intense conversation over beer tonight.

 

20 May, 2010

 

THEY CANCELLED THE SUMMER CONCERT

HOW COULD THEY

IT’S _THE SUMMER CONCERT_

WELL WE’LL JUST SEE ABOUT THAT MR GRUMPY STATE AUDITOR WITH THE CUTE BUTT

 

20 May, 2010

 

(Note to self: delete the “cute butt” bit later.)

(His butt really is very cute though.)

(I’ll delete this post later too)

 

20 May, 2010

 

… Okay, I don’t quite get what happened. 

Zuko cancelled the summer concert and the musicians got a gig in neighboring town. Right? Right. 

Then I tried to organize the concert anyway with the help of the community and without taking a dime from the city budget, and then he came over to yell at me, and I yelled at him right back, and all the kids were already there and they were very disappointed, and then we tried to improvise some music ourselves but THEN the musicians came back and said Zuko paid them double so they’d come at the last minute?

I don’t get it. Katara doesn’t get it. Sokka doesn’t get it. Boss doesn’t even try to get it and went off to get burgers with Toph.

Zuko disappeared somewhere with Ty Lee and Gloomy Mai so I couldn’t even ask him anything. 

Still. The children had a good time so that’s all that really matters, right?

[PICTURE OF APPA AND MOMO ON SUMMER CONCERT STAGE]

 

22 May, 2010

 

Sorry, guys, I can’t give you a picture of Zuko OR his very cute butt. He’d never pose for a picture with me willingly and I don’t think taking sneaky photos of someone and putting them on the internet without their permission is very ethical. 

I can give you a picture of Appa and Badgermole being cute, though!

[PICTURE OF APPA AND BADGERMOLE NAPPING ON TOP OF EACH OTHER] 

 

11 January, 2011

 

So Zuko and I had lunch together today.

It wasn’t a date. He just wanted to chat about the budget and the department and what we’re going to do in the future because apparently he wasn’t getting anywhere beyond shouting with Boss and “this is getting ridiculous” and I seemed like “the more reasonable one out of the two of you.” Charmer, am I right? But I was feeling like lunch anyway and I thought, where’s the harm, so I took him over to my favorite waffle place because there’s nothing better to put you in a good mood than excellent waffles. 

I could tell he had some bad news, so I took the conversation over and told him about Rozin’s history.

Did you know that the town is named after two gay lovers? 

Yeah, I’m not joking.

See, there was Roku, and then there was Sozin. They grew up as best friends, became lovers, but then they were torn apart by the conflicts around the frontier and stood on the opposite sides. Legend says they relented at the last moment, tried to stop the big battle that was about to happen, were shot and died in each other’s arms, professing their great love and regret. The town was founded on the no-man’s-land between the two villages and named after both of them.

Now, most high school history books will claim that Roku was a woman. 

That’s not true.

Really! I can give you sources! Roku was a man and Sozin was a man and they were undeniably lovers and long story short, I am very proud to be serving a town with such a romantic history. 

Zuko was really impressed. I could tell from the way he sputtered and his eyes got huge and he forgot all about looking broody and menacing for a moment. And then he told me that it was a “good story,” and stared at his waffle. It was a cute moment.

Of course, then he told me they were going to shut the entire government down, but, you know, I wanted to make this post about something pleasant first before dropping the bomb. 

I’ll be fine. I CAN not-work. I _CAN_. 

I WILL be fine.

[PICTURE OF WAFFLES WITH WHIPPED CREAM]

 

13 January, 2011

 

I can’t go to work and I am NOT fine. 

Edit: Katara is here and we’re working on a plan. ALL IS NOT LOST.

[PICTURE OF A COFFEE TABLE COVERED WITH PAPERWORK AND A CROPPED LAP OF A DARK-SKINNED WOMAN IN BLUE JEANS WITH HANDS FOLDED ON HER KNEE]

 

15 September, 2011

 

WE’RE BACK

 

16 September 2011

 

I have a bit more time now so here’s what happened: someone or something convinced Zuko and Ty Lee to get most of the departments working again and we even survived without having to fire anyone! Boss is here, however reluctantly, and Gloomy Mai (who looks slightly less gloomy than usual and I even spotted her having coffee with Zuko and Ty Lee out in the yard), and Toph with Badgermole and all her wit intact, and Sokka, who keeps saying he’d rather work on some kind of invention he’d come up with when we were down and start his own business, but I think he’s secretly quite happy too.

I passed Zuko in the corridor today and he asked how I was doing. Am I allowed to think it’s a good sign?

Anyway, looks like Rozin’s back on its feet and we’re gonna start the season big – I decided we’ll resurrect the Harvest Festival!

(And maybe if we do that we’ll get more funding and I can get going on Katara’s park again. Don’t think I’ve abandoned the idea. NEVER.)

[PICTURE OF APPA AND MOMO OUT IN A GARDEN NEXT TO A SMALL HEAP OF FALLEN LEAVES]

 

27 September 2011 

Too busy. Can’t talk. Very very busy.

(Zuko is helping us with the Harvest Festival though and it’s hilarious how worked-up he gets over things. Yesterday he ranted at Sokka when Sokka got Star Trek and Star Wars mixed up by accident. It lasted almost half an hour. At one point Gloomy Mai started to record him.)

(I might have nicked the recording from her computer when she was off on her bathroom break.)

Harvest Festival’s gonna be so awesome, you guys.

 

18 October 2011

 

So, something’s happened and I’m not quite sure how to deal with that.

It all started when we got the media involved. I wanted to promote the Festival as much as I can so it wouldn’t bomb, and I invited the local press to get in on it and they, uh… They turned out to be a little more thorough than I expected.

The thing is, Jun from _Rozin Today_ really likes a good scandal. And when I say “really likes,” I mean she gets a bit like Rita Skeeter if Rita Skeeter was a Gremlin with water poured on her under the full moon.

Wait, was the full moon a factor in Gremlins or am I thinking about werewolves? Sorry. I’ll ask Zuko later.

… Or maybe not, because Zuko hasn’t shown in face in the department, or anywhere for that matter, since the story broke two days ago, and he hasn’t replied to a single text or voice message I sent him.

(There have been 379 so far.)

(What? I’m concerned.)

I should probably tell you what the story was now, right? The problem is, I don’t know if I can because then you might match it to the name and this whole façade of anonymity we’ve been enjoying might be blown and then I could get in trouble. I’ll just give you the general idea then. You see, Zuko’s father, as it turns out, is a ~~senator~~ a ~~well-known politician~~ a public figure. And years ago, Zuko himself was – elected, but really mostly hired – into office because of that, and he… didn’t do a very good job of it, and then he was booted out of both office and family. Or so Jun wrote, though given how both Ty Lee and Gloomy Mai reacted to the article I’m inclined to believe it was true. Zuko’s father has always seemed… forbidding to me, and now… 

I don’t even know what to think. 

But I’m worried, not about the festival – well, that too because it’s in a week and everyone’s working so hard on it and if it bombs we might all lose our jobs after all – but mostly about Zuko, because he did not look well, like, at all. 

I hope he’s all right.

 

23 October 2011

 

Two days till the Festival. Zuko still hasn’t reappeared.

 

26 October 2011

 

Okay, so a lot of things have happened. I’ll try to keep them in order as much as I can but it’ll be tough.

So, first of all, the festival! A lot of you were asking about it in the comments and I’m pleased to say we won’t lose our jobs after all. Despite the media storm surrounding Zuko and his past and questioning his involvement in the project, we got all the businesses, money and volunteers we needed, and _[what follows is a lengthy section describing the Rozin 2011 Harvest Festival in excessive detail, cut here for brevity]_

Sokka brought his new girlfriend Suki, who’s a teacher and a volunteer in our local community center and a great person overall. Toph was jealous, but was trying to hide it. Poor Toph. I know what that’s like. I tried to take her on one of the rides to take her mind off things but she just snapped at me and told Badgermole to rip my throat out so I wouldn’t bother her so I left her alone.

And then I noticed Ty Lee, Gloomy Mai and Jet the shoeshine… flirting? As in, all three of them? Not that I mind that at all, polyamory’s great, but I kind of had the feeling that Zuko and Gloomy Mai had a… history. Sometimes they act like that might be the case.

Which brings me to the weird part. 

At first Zuko wasn’t going to appear, from what Ty Lee and Gloomy Mai told us. He’s been helping with the project from wherever he’s been staying at, from a distance, but wasn’t gonna risk spoiling the festival even more by showing up in person and drawing attention away from the event. I was a little disappointed because I’ve come to enjoy his awkward self as well as his cute butt, but after everything that’s happened it was understandable.

Which was why I was so surprised to see him skulking around the shooting tents with corn on a stick after dark.

I don’t even know how he got in, must have gone over the fence or something because no one’s seen him come in through the main gate, but anyway, I followed him and finally caught up with him by the Ferris wheel. At first he was trying to hide behind the corn and pretend to be someone else, but then he just – sagged, and looked like a sad wet kitty, and we went to sit down behind the whack-a-mole and I got us both a drink.

At first he was all apologetic, saying stuff like “sorry I almost ruined your festival” and “I’m basically cursed” and “bad luck goes everywhere I go.” It all sounded terribly pessimistic, so I tried telling him that it wasn’t true, but then he just looked at me and I got the feeling that maybe now is not the time for what Sokka calls my “aggressive optimism.” I let him rant instead and that seemed to work better. He barely said anything about his father, but there was a lot in what he was not saying and I got the feeling that there’s a lot of bad blood between them and I don’t like what it’s doing to Zuko at all. 

Anyway, we ended up talking late into the night, about many, many things, and now I can’t stop thinking about it. It kept me up all night and it probably will tonight, too.

Zuko is a very sad person. I wonder if there’s anything I can do to help with that.

[PICTURE OF APPA AND MOMO NEXT TO A PUMPKIN]

 

2 November 2011

Katara hosted her Halloween party again, and predictably we’re still recovering.

That goes double for me though because Zuko, Ty Lee and Gloomy Mai (we’ve been calling them the Doom Trio here in City Hall) went there too and then Zuko took me to the side and told me they’re thinking of staying in Rozin a little longer. It was very cute. He made the most adorable little face when he said it, and when I grinned at him he got all flustered and spilled his soda all over his Indiana Jones costume so we had to go to Katara’s bathroom to get it off and find him something else to wear, aaaaand long story short I may now have a whole year’s worth of Indiana Jones fantasies I never asked for. 

I didn’t think it was possible, but Zuko’s chest and back are as cute as his butt. 

(I’ll delete that later when I’m sober-er.)

I went dressed as Appa, by the way. Here’s my costume.

[PICTURE OF A YOUNG MAN IN AN APPA COSTUME WITH THE HEAD CROPPED]

 

8 December 2011

 

Zuko came over to my office just now, started tripping over his own words, stammered something about the weather, blushed, stalked away to Boss’s office by accident and then ran away. 

Weird.

Update: He came back with coffee for both of us ten minutes later and apologized and told me he wants to help with park-building. We’re going out to lunch later today to talk it over. 

I’m tired of throwing paper planes at Sokka’s head so I just started to throw balled-up bits of paper until he shuts up. It’s been fifteen minutes now. 

Update: Toph has joined in and now they’re both laughing at me and Zuko. Gloomy Mai is sighing and rolling her eyes and doodling something that is no doubt lethal and gloomy. I’m calling Katara.

 

15 December 2011

 

I may have swapped Haru from Animal Control for Zuko for secret Santa. On Ji gave me a weird look, but didn’t argue too much – apparently Haru is very easy to shop for.

I’ve just spent three hours browsing the internet for the perfect lightsaber. Wow, I never knew it would be so hard! Who knew there’d be so many different lightsabers to choose from? 

[PICTURE OF APPA AND MOMO CURLED UP ON A COUCH]

Update: Katara says I have a problem. Do _you_ think I have a problem? Because I just can’t see it. It’s perfectly normal to want to surprise your nerdy colleague with cool fandom merch, right? And all right, I might have called her a bit later than usual, but 1am isn’t THAT late. It was urgent! I needed her opinion on which of the two lightsabers on ebay looked cooler!

Update: Okay, and there’s a lot of comments coming in and I’m not sure how to respond so I just… won’t. Yeah. Goodnight!

 

28 December 2011

 

I guess I never told you I don’t have any family left, have I? Suppose it was never very important.

I grew up with my grandfather, Gyatso, and he was a really great, wise, kind man. I never really needed anyone else, but then he died just when I got my first job (here in City Hall, I worked in the commissary) and I’ve inherited the house and I’ve been living on my own since then. I’m telling you that to explain why I’ve been spending Christmasses with Katara and Sokka and their family, and it’s been very nice, but I missed Gyatso very much as I always do at this time of year so eventually I took off and went for a walk around Sozin Park.

It was totally a coincidence that Zuko was there too. I swear. 

Anyway, he seemed surprised but pleased to see me and we started talking, and I found out that he bailed out of a small Doom Trio party because Ty Lee and Gloomy Mai started making out with each other (now THAT is an outcome I never saw coming!), and I told him about Gyatso, and he told me that his mother went missing many years ago, and then the atmosphere got sort of heavy and wistful so we decided to go to my place for a drink.

It was very nice.

No, not how you’re thinking, you bunch of gutter-dwellers. Just… nice. He fell asleep on my sofa and woke up all grumpy the next day because his neck was hurting, and I made him some eggs and then he told me he was thinking of renting a real place somewhere instead of a motel room aaaaaaaand I might have suggested that he move in with me because I have a guest room.

And he said yes.

After a lot of stuttering and coughing and flustering, but he did. 

Sooooo… that’s happening.

At least now I know Appa and Momo approve – they’ve been trying to get Zuko to pay attention to them all evening and he seems to like them in his dorky kind of way.

He’s moving in tomorrow and we’re gonna host a New Year’s Eve party together. 

Am very excited.

[PICTURE OF APPA LICKING A PALE HAND FALLING FROM OUT OF A BLANKET ON THE COUCH]

 

30 December 2011 

 

Zuko has moved in and already the house seems even brighter.

He hasn’t unpacked all the boxes yet, but I’ve been checking if he needs help and his room looks homely already, and Ty Lee and Gloomy Mai and Toph and Sokka and Suki and Katara came over to help and it was so much fun to be working all together. I made cocktails for everyone after we were done and we sat down to watch _Mean Girls_ in my basement, and it was great, and got even better when Suki realized I have the Just Dance games because then everyone wanted to try it out. My only regret is that I didn’t get Zuko and Gloomy Mai to dance, but they were looking on and smiling like they were having fun, and I did see Toph making up the moves completely to “Cotton-Eye Joe” and I don’t remember the last time I laughed so much.

Gotta go now, helping Zuko hang the streamers around the house. 

[PICTURE OF APPA AND MOMO STANDING BY A LADDER WHERE A PAIR OF LEGS IN JEANS IS VISIBLE]

 

31 December 2011

 

Juts wannna say that teh parrys greatan zukos great and gliimy Msi just rold me to “get it” andddd winked and happy new yer erry1!

 

1 January 2012

 

Wow. Sorry about the last post, everyone. I’d delete it but it seems you enjoyed it a lot so I’ll leave it as is. Glad you had a good start of the year! Mine was fantastic, but I guess you kind of guessed it already.

Now I gotta stop typing because Zuko grumbles that the noise makes his headache worse but he can’t be bothered to move from the couch. I sympathize. Gonna get some more water for us both. 

So, once again, happy new year!

 

4 January 2012

 

We had our first movie argument last night. Zuko wanted to watch _Iron Man_ and I wanted to watch _The Princess Diaries_ and in the end we settled on Disney’s _Hercules_ because a solid Disney collection should be a fixture in everyone’s house, am I right?

At one point he told me to stop singing along – boo Zuko – but when I got up to get more popcorn I heard him humming “From Zero to Hero” and called him out on it. He makes the funniest faces when he tries to pretend to be aloof. Oh Zuko. Just let it be. I told him he can be himself around here and that I won’t judge and he just sat there and didn’t say a word to me for the rest of the night.

I did catch him sneaking treats to Appa and Momo, though. 

He’ll fit in just fine.

 

6 January 2012

 

Zuko said we should take the Christmas tree down. 

Boo Zuko.

Update: He loves the lightsaber, by the way. Not openly, but I caught him waving it around in his bedroom when I was passing it on my way to the toilet and it was adorable. 

Ooooooooh, lightbulb moment! Maybe I should get one too! That way we could settle movie arguments with lightsaber duels. So much more epic than rock-paper-scissors, am I right? 

Update: I’m getting myself another one. It is ON.

 

10 January 2012

 

Getting myself a lightsaber to match might have just been the worst AND the best idea I’ve ever had. 

[PICTURE OF AN OVERTURNED TABLE AND SOFA AND PAPERS STREWN ALL OVER THE FLOOR]

(Maybe I’ll get Zuko one of those Lord of the Rings sword replicas for his birthday when I finally get the date out of him. He’s into that too, I saw the t-shirt. Or Harry Potter wands! Can’t go wrong with that, right? But which character? Hmmm. This will take some digging.)

Update: That settles it. I’m getting Harry Potter wands for all of my friends for Christmas next year. I’ve just spent three hours matching which one should go to whom. Best idea ever.

[PICTURE OF APPA SLEEPING ON A BED]

 

17 January 2012

 

Zuko started to visit me regularly in the office. Says he wants to help me get that park built and turns out he’s pretty good with numbers so that’s been really helpful. We’ve been talking shop at home too and stayed up last night until 3am before we realized how late it was. 

We’re making some real progress, finally! 

(Even though Boss says we’re making his headaches worse. He’s started smiling a little when he says it so I don’t treat it too seriously. I wonder what kind of wand Boss would like for Christmas.)

Park status: back in the game!

 

3 February, 2012

 

Today I discovered that Zuko is, in fact, a terrible cook, and that it IS possible for spaghetti Bolognese to go wrong. 

Very, very, surely-the-sauce-isn’t-supposed-to-be-this-shade-of-yellow wrong. Oooops. 

Gotta go. Ordering Chinese.

[PICTURE OF A DISTURBING-LOOKING GOO IN A PAN]

 

13 February, 2012

 

It’s not too weird to get your platonic friend/roommate chocolates for Valentine’s day, is it?

Update: It’s for energy. Sugar means energy. We need the energy to work on the park! So there, Katara! 

Besides, there’s a box of chocolates shaped like a cat’s head that was so totally cute I had to get it. For energy. And cuteness. 

Zuko will like it.

 

14 February, 2012

 

Gave Zuko the box of chocolates. 

He hasn’t come out of the bathroom in two hours.

I’m going in.

 

15 February, 2012

 

A lot of you were concerned after my last post and I realize it was probably wrong of me to make you wait a whole day for an explanation, but the problem is, I’m not sure if I can give one. It really isn’t my thing to share, you see. It’s very private. Zuko is… more complicated than I first realized, and we ended up talking late into the night – once I actually got him to talk – and we both shared things with each other that… I think… will make living with one another both easier and more complicated. We’ll see.

Things are changing, though, and I have a feeling that he opened a door for me. I just hope I won’t misstep and make him regret doing that. I could tell it was hard. 

I could really use a fairy godmother swooping in right now and granting me insight into Zuko’s mind so I could bleach the dark parts and make them bright again. 

I’m taking him out to Sozin Park tomorrow after work. It’s still too cold to feed the ducks, but I have a feeling a nice, crisp long walk will do us both good. 

Thanks for your concern, everyone, you are the best.

 

18 March, 2012

 

You remember that post where I said I’d love more insight into Zuko’s mind? Well. I should really be careful what I wish for, shouldn’t I.

We had an unexpected guest here in City Hall today: Zuko’s sister. I knew immediately she was trouble because when she strode in, looking like she walked fresh out of a Glamour cover, Gloomy Mai immediately went very stiff and stopped doodling and just _looked_ at her, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen her mouth go quite so thin. That’s when Ty Lee burst into our office yelling, “RED ALERT! RED ALERT! AZULA IN THE BUILDING!”, which, as you can imagine, resulted in a pretty awkward situation since she was already there. 

Azula is… not a nice person.

At all.

In fact, Boss put it much more colorfully, but I don’t like epithets that are especially degrading for women so I won’t repeat it here, though privately I have to agree, just this once. 

Azula really is… that.

She started her visit by mocking Ty Lee and Gloomy Mai in no uncertain terms, and ignored the rest of us as if we were below her notice before she asked where Zuko was because she came to see her “big idiot brother.” When Ty Lee told her he wasn’t in the building, she started… well, slandering him, I can really find no other word for it, she just started saying those awful, awful things about him, and my heart was way up in my throat because I was afraid that he’d walk in and hear it all. It got so bad that even Boss stuck his head out of the office and tried to unleash the full power of his frown of doom on Azula, but she only turned on him and the rest of us, and – where did she even get the intel, I’ll never know, but she started saying horrible things about us, too, mentioning such private, private things and making fun of us for them that I honestly had the worst taste in my mouth long after she was gone. 

What a horrible, horrible person.

And that’s not even the worst of it, because later she turned up _at our house_.

It was late at night, and Zuko spent almost all of it shut in his bedroom – not that I can blame him – and she just waltzed in the moment I opened the door, and started calling for “Zuzu” to come out and face her like a man instead of hiding, and then – then he did, and he just looked so – so miserable, and asked me to give them a moment, so I took Appa out for a walk to give them space even though the last thing I wanted was to leave my new friend alone with that horrible person. 

It’s past midnight now, and Azula’s gone, and I tried to talk to Zuko but he won’t open the door to his bedroom to me. 

I’m very, very worried.

 

20 March, 2012

 

So… Zuko is leaving. 

He told me just now, after dinner. He’ll be moving out of town and going back to Washington DC with his sister. Says his father is ready to give him a second chance and he’s ready to take it, but won’t explain anything else.

I’m going to Katara’s. I need someone to talk to.

 

23 March, 2012

 

Zuko is gone and I can’t believe how empty the house seems already.

Katara is staying over tonight. I’m so grateful to have such a good friend. 

There’s so much work still to do.

[PICTURE OF MOMO THE CAT SITTING ON A WOMAN’S LAP]

 

24 March, 2012

 

Thanks for all the nice supportive messages, guys! I appreciate it. I may be sad now but I’ll be okay. I always bounce back, and anyway, there really is so much work to do! Zuko gave me some momentum with the park and I can’t let it go to waste. I’m gonna keep working on it until it’s done, even if he won’t be there for the grand ribbon-cutting. 

It’s a shame, though. I really wish he was.

Oh well. 

I’ll be okay.

 

15 February, 2013

 

I got a mysterious package yesterday in the mail and I thought you guys might like to know that it was a box of chocolates in the shape of a cat’s head. Unsigned.

I know I shouldn’t allow myself to hope, but…

 

24 April, 2013

 

I saw Zuko on TV today, on the news. He was standing next to his father at a Republican rally. 

I wish I could say he looked happy, or that I am happy for him, but really, he – didn’t. 

It’s stupid, I know I’ll probably never see him again, but I still think that maybe I should write to him and ask if he’s okay. 

Maybe Gloomy Mai has his new address. Or his new number. 

 

5 June, 2013

 

Found the lightsaber today when I was cleaning the house.

Wonder if Sokka likes lightsabers. 

 

26 October, 2013

 

We’re so close! I can almost hear the grass growing in the new park, and everyone is so excited! (Though they’re showing it in their own way.) There’s still some paperwork to be processed and the final permits issued, you know, the mundane details, but we’ve come so far and I just can’t w

Hold that thought, Aang. There’s someone at the door. Wonder what they might want at 11pm.

 

27 October, 2013

 

Okay, so it’s like this: it’s 4am, raining cats and dogs outside, and I have a sickly, feverish Zuko sleeping in my guestroom. 

He wouldn’t tell me what happened, only asked if he could come in, and I tried to feed him some warm chicken noodle soup and then found him some clean, warm pajamas, which he put on even though they really don’t fit, and I put him to bed and checked his temperature and called Katara and she came over in the middle of the night and long story short it’s nothing serious, but he needs a lot of sleep and rest and proper food because apparently he’s malnourished.

I can do that. I will give him everything he might need and then some. 

I’d lie if I said I wasn’t a little mad at him too, but that can wait. Explanations can wait. He needs to get better first.

At least Appa and Momo are doing a good job of being nurses, see?

[PICTURE OF MOMO CURLED UP ON THE BED NEXT TO A BODY HIDDEN UNDER A DUVET AND APPA SLEEPING ON THE FLOOR BY THE BED]

 

28 October, 2013

 

Thank you once again for all the nice messages. I wonder if maybe I should show them to Zuko – he might appreciate the well-wishes. 

He’s feeling somewhat better today, and we’ve… talked. He’s much more open about sharing things now, and promised to tell me all about his family and what happened. For now I only know that he escaped from DC and had some trouble finding a place to stay, hence his poor state when he finally found his way to my place. I foresee long, long conversations ahead of us, and I’m not sure how to feel right now, but hey, it’s progress, right? And I want to help.

I really, really do.

 

6 November, 2013

 

Wow, it’s been a while, hasn’t it? Sorry about that! There’s been a lot going on and I never really had time to write much. 

I do have a surprise for you, though, and I think you’re gonna like it! 

[SELFIE-TYPE PICTURE OF TWO YOUNG MEN SITTING NEXT TO EACH OTHER ON A SOFA, ONE OF THEM GRINNING AND THE OTHER ONE SMILING SHYLY INTO THE CAMERA, THEIR ARMS AROUND EACH OTHER]

 

7 November, 2013

 

Yup! Zuko and I are dating. You got that right. And I have to tell you, I am very, very happy. 

Not everything’s resolved yet, no, but… we’re getting there. He’s opening up slowly and I’ve been understanding my own feelings a little better too, and we’ve decided we want to work on it. That’s all anyone can hope for, right? 

I told him about the blog, too. He should know.

 

17 May, 2013

 

Hi. Zuko here.

You’re probably impatient to hear about the park. We’re opening it tomorrow. Aang is too busy to write so he asked me to tell you all that it’s all going according to plan even though there’s tiny disasters happening everywhere. 

It’s really crazy around here.

I don’t know what else am I supposed to write here I’ll just – I’ll just stop. 

Yeah.

Bye.

 

18 May, 2013

 

Park status: COMPLETE!!!

[PICTURE OF A GROUP OF PEOPLE STANDING IN FRONT OF A BRAND NEW PARK, AANG AND ZUKO HOLDING HANDS IN THE MIDDLE]


End file.
